Lost in the Crowd
by Porky Poo
Summary: He always knew that he was different. But his first year at Hogwarts is going to emphasise that more than anything. Can he learn to fit in or accept his differences?
1. Chapter 1

The first years all crowded together seemingly trying to find comfort in their numbers. However, one eleven-year-old boy would have been more comfortable if they had spread out just a little bit. He came from a large family that was growing larger and louder each year. In fact just last year his youngest sister was born as well as another cousin. He was used to being crowded but wished for once in his life that he could stand away from the crowd just a little bit.

He could feel the eyes of the older students on him. Even though he wasn't the only first-year standing in between the tables he felt as though he were on display; another thing that he wasn't entirely comfortable with. He had been nervous about this moment since he had first received his acceptance letter three months previously. But what he hadn't anticipated this feeling of being part of a show.

Headmistress McGonagall started to speak.

"I will call your names and you will step forward and place the sorting hat on your head and be sorted into your houses," The boy knew what to expect. Upon seeing him so nervous about his first year his Godfather had talked him through some of the most crucial steps in the sorting process to try and make it less scary. It really didn't help that much.

McGonagall started listing off names, and the corresponding first years would step forward to find out which houses they would belong to for the next seven years. The sorting hat's declarations were met with wild cheers from the respective houses as the students went to join their fellow classmates.

The boy never thought that McGonagall would make it all of the ways to the L's. She had started with the A's and it seemed to be taking her forever to get through the letters. And then he heard he call out the name:

"Lupin, Edward Remus."

 _Did she have to say the full name?_ Edward thought to himself as he walked forward pushing his black hair out of his eyes.

He was so intent on getting to the three-legged stool that he didn't hear the murmurs that swept through the hall. His name had a reputation that preceded him and everyone knew it.

The hat was placed on his head and he could hear it whispering in his ear.

 _Impressive, I sense great courage, no doubt from your father. But there is something else there, loyalty, honesty, your mother's blood no doubt._

And then the hat called out for all to hear:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The cheering broke out from the Hufflepuff table. But then McGonagall pulled the hat off of Edward's head as he jumped up to join his house and the entire hall went silent. His hair which had been black when the hat was placed on his head was now such a bright yellow that it matched the Hufflepuff colors.

Standing there in front of everyone who had gone silent Edward looked up and saw the yellow that was now his hair. Almost instantly his hair turned back to black the color running out of his skull. It only took a moment and then from somewhere towards the back of the Hufflepuff table wild cheering broke out. It seemed to break the spell that had been cast and it quickly spread through the hall until Edward was sitting down to hearty cheers and claps on the back for his stunt.

The sorting went on leaving the young boy freshly placed into Hufflepuff house to wonder if he liked or disliked the amount of attention he had gotten so far.

* * *

 **A/N:** Could be a one-shot could be more. What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

"What was that thing you did with your hair?" One of the excited first years asked, jumping up and down on his bed.

They had just gotten to their dorm after the incredible feast. Edward didn't know how the other boy could jump up and down, he himself was so full that he felt as though he was going to explode.

"I'm a Metamorphagus," Edward said bluntly. It was subtle but his hair also seemed to turn even blacker than it already was, if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't have even noticed. But it was a hint that he didn't really want to talk about this with people he didn't know.

"You're a what?" asked another boy who was setting out some of his things from home.

"A Metamorphagus," Edward said again, "It means that I have the ability to change any part of my appearance at will."

"That is so cool!" The first boy declared still jumping on his bed. Edward wished that he could remember the boy's names, they were all said so quickly during the sorting that he really wasn't paying attention.

The fourth Hufflepuff first year came out of the bathroom already dressed for bed in striped red pajamas.

"What are you three on about?" he asked placing his neatly folded robes on top of his trunk at the foot of his bed.

"Edwards a Metaphamorgas," The jumping boy said.

"Metamorphagus," Edward corrected, "And please call me Teddy."

"I've heard about those, they're super rare," The boy in the pajamas said but he was cut off by the jumping boy.

"Teddy? How do you get Teddy out of Edward?" He asked.

"Edward was my Grandfathers name but everyone just called him Ted, it comes from there," Teddy said glad that the conversation had changed from him being a Metamorphagi to his name.

"That's cool," Said the jumping boy, "My names Phil, I'm not named for anyone though."

"I'm named for my Uncle Lynwood," said the boy who was putting away his things, "But everyone calls me Woody."

"Like the Toy Story character?" Phil asked.

"Who?" Woody asked. We were all looking at Phil like he was a little crazy.

"Sorry, I'm a muggle born, I forget sometimes you don't know what I'm talking about." Phil apologized but didn't explain any further.

We all turned to look at the boy who was already in his pajamas. He was not sitting on his bed listening to us but he hadn't bothered to introduce himself.

"I'm Phineas, I was named after my Great Grandfather he was a really important Wizard in his time." The Phineas said in a very matter of fact tone.

"Nice to meet you Phinny," Phil said as he finally stopped jumping and flopped onto his bed.

"Please call me Phineas."

"Ok, but you better not call me Phillip, I hate it," Phil said with a good-natured laugh.

 **A/N:** I know the chapters are short but they will get longer as I go on. I'm just getting started and don't have a clear plan for the story yet. Please leave a review to tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Teddy was lost. He had felt lost all day but now he was really lost. He was in search of the Great Hall but he was having trouble finding it. He had no idea where to go and he was hungry. So now he simply meandered through the corridors his stomach's rumblings slowly growing louder as he grew hungrier and hungrier.

 _This place really needs a map,_ Teddy thought to himself, not for the first time that day. The corridors were too confusing for anyone to find their way around. He wondered what it would take to make a map of a place that seemed to constantly be changing, what with the moving staircases and everything.

Just when Teddy was about to give up the search for the Great Hall and start the search for his dormitory (he didn't think he would ever be able to find that either) he saw a bent and old figure down the corridor from him. Running to get to the person as soon as possible Teddy took off down the corridor. But he pulled up short when he saw who the figure was.

It was an old man who looked to be about a hundred. He was busy at work mopping the floor that looked like it was covered in some sort of green goop. And he was muttering something that Teddy couldn't quite make out about the students. This couldn't be anyone else but Filch. Teddy had never met the man but he had heard stories, mostly from Uncle George.

"Excuse me," Teddy said politely, Teddy had been taught at a young age by his Nan to always be polite to people. When there was no response from the old man Teddy raised is voice, "EXCUSE ME!" He practically had to shout before Filch looked up at him and mumbled some unsavory things.

"I'm lost, could you help me find the Great Hall?" Teddy asked.

With a grunt Filch pointed down the corridor that Teddy had been walking down and then pointed to the left. Teddy figured that this was all he was going to get from the man and so with a quick "Thank you" he headed off in the direction that the man had pointed.

It took Teddy less than ten minutes to find the Great Hall, and with a sigh he slipped through the doors. He was late of course and almost the entire school was there eating. And when they saw Teddy several of them started to whisper among themselves. It was the same thing that had happened during the sorting when his name had been called. Teddy couldn't hear what they were saying, but he really didn't have to, to know that they were talking about his Dad.

Werewolves had better rights these days and weren't feared as much. But this generation of students had grown up with parents who still feared werewolves and thought them to be monsters. A bit of that had rubbed off on their children. And when someone was the son of a werewolf they got better treatment but it was still full of prejudices and distrust.

As Teddy walked towards that Hufflepuff table a Gryffindor student quietly lifted his head and pretended to howl like a wolf. Teddy ignored him and kept on walking. He had never been subject to such things in this kind of quantity before. But he knew that it was there when older witches or wizards learned who he was they seemed to look at him just a little differently.

"There you are!" Phil called out from the Hufflepuff table when he saw Teddy. "We were beginning to worry that you had gotten lost for good."

"I did get lost," Teddy admitted sitting down with his year mates. "This castle is impossible."

"I know," Woody said, "I got lost just trying to find the way out of Hufflepuff common room."

This declaration was met with loud laughter from all of the Hufflepuff first years and some light chuckles from some of the older students who heard it.

Teddy laughed with his friends through the rest of the meal, filling up on food and good company. He didn't even notice that his hair which had been his natural black was slowly lightening until it was a dark brown.

That night in the common room as Teddy and the first years sat around trying to figure out what classes they had with what house the next day a sixth year come in barring a tray laden with hot chocolate. As soon as the boy entered the room Teddy could smell the chocolate. The sixth year sat down with his friends and started to talk loudly.

"You ok?" Phineas asked Teddy noticing that he had gone completely quiet.

"What?" Teddy said pulling his eyes away from the hot chocolate, the smell of it was simply hypnotizing.

"I wonder where he got the hot chocolate," Phil said seeing where Teddy had been looking.

"Probably from the kitchens," Teddy answered distractedly. "My Uncle says there around here somewhere but I haven't had time to find them."

"Wait we can just go to the kitchens and get food whenever we want?" Lynwood asked taken aback slightly at the prospect of this.

"Of course you can, it's run by House Elves," Phineas said, "They're there all the time and they love to give you what you want."

Teddy didn't like the way that Phineas was talking about the elves. Not that what he said wasn't true, it was. But there was something in his tone that rubbed Teddy the wrong way. He had been told time and time again by his Aunt, Uncle and Godfather that without House Elves they would never have won the war eleven years ago. And so he had come to respect the Elves, even though he knew that most wizarding families still didn't. It was evident through Phineas' tone that he came from such a family.

"We should go and find it." Phil suggested excitedly, he had never met a House Elf but had heard about them since coming to Hogwarts.

The three other boys agreed and they all headed out of the common room to find out where the kitchens could be. Teddy didn't know then but this was going to be the first of many fun and hidden things that the four boys would find together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Teddy doesn't know about the Marauders map yet, Harry wouldn't give it to a first year. But that doesn't mean that he won't get it eventually.

Also has you have noticed Teddy refers to all members of the Weasley family as his aunts and uncles. It is easier for him to keep track of how everyone in his life fits together if he does this. I figured that might be confusing as Teddy doesn't have any real aunts and uncles, so I tried to explain.

I will continue to post chapters hopefully every day or every other day.


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